C&C 3 and Supreme Commander

Both these games look pretty good. I downloaded and played the demos on the laptop. I'm impressed with the graphics and they incorporated most of the good features in RTS games from the past. Both games are capable of running at 1920x1200 (my laptop’s highest resolution setting).

For an all out RTS, I think Supreme Commander is THE GAME. It has so many different units to choose from and so many combinations of forces for different tasks. It truly is Total Annihilation II in that regard. It also has a build queue repeat feature that allows you to set up a build queue and then repeat it until you stop it or run out of resources. The zoom in/out feature is nice, but returns to default zoom whenever a cut scene is shown (which gets annoying because I like a slightly larger viewpoint than default so I can see a bigger picture). The graphics are high-end. On my laptop with a GeForce 6800 the game wasn’t playable at default settings – very chunky. I had to take the graphics settings down a little. That means the latest graphics card will probably make this game look absolutely phenomenal, but also means you miss out if you can’t afford the latest and greatest.

For the next game I want to purchase though, I think I’ll go with Command & Conquer 3. It is more playable on my current system and not quite as complex as SupCom (fewer unit types means less confusion). The graphics on C&C are quite good, though not as advanced as SupCom. The cut scenes are part of what give the C&C franchise its uniqueness and they are done well and at high resolution. C&C has always had a good single-player aspect and with dial-up at home that is one of the deciding factors in my choice. I also don’t see us getting a high-end system any time soon, so C&C is a better fit overall.

Of course with the announcement of StarCraft II, maybe I should hold off. Yeah, it is about time Blizzard!

Diplomacy has failed

All the other empires are at war with me. My control over the central universe has caused a few undesired skirmishes and they are all upset that I will not allow any infiltration. When one of my weaker worlds is defeated, I don’t allow another race to take the planet. If they try, I destroy their transport and have one of my transports re-establish the colony while a fleet orbits the planet. This hostile defensive stance has rendered diplomacy useless. However, I have several shipyards on overtime duty producing my next wave of battleships. Once they are completed I plan to exact some revenge on the more hostile empires. It is fun to control the universe’s traffic – keeping the Northern and Southern expanses segregated. It’s caused a divide in resources for several of the larger empires – weakening their overall power. However, it’s made it easier for me to sit back and produce.

I’ve been losing more ships recently and discovered a design flaw in my battleships. I optimized their configurations and have begun upgrading my current crop. I need to examine the current cruiser specifications to see if a similar flaw is present in their design. If so, I will need to upgrade them as well. I’ve gone back to an earlier design for my carriers and it has proven the difference in several fleet skirmishes. My carries have a large cannon installed instead of an additional fighter squadron. The additional cannons give me extra firepower during skirmishes involving similarly matched fleets. Several times I have won the battle only because of the additional firepower (when all fighters have been destroyed and only carriers are left to duke it out). This configuration has also allowed my fleet of carriers and cruisers to fare well against fleets containing carriers and battleships.

Maintaining the empire has been costly as of late though. Several border worlds have had to be re-built multiple times. I constantly have to move my main fleet between the Northern and Southern fronts to maintain some security. The Tovloc and Vylon are the only threats from the north, but have proven to be pains at times. To the south the Ferxen and Borbeck remain active. The Sawatel, Kvik and Rosidon empires occasionally cause problems, but rarely have sufficient ships to form a truly threatening fleet for very long, if at all. The Isdar have backed off and only sit at the southern border waiting. I’m not sure if they are ready to talk treaty yet, but I suspect they will soon. They need the ability to pass through my sectors and share resources between their worlds in the north and south. Since I’m not attacking them, an offer for treaty may go over well. The Wexlun have gone back and forth between enemy and ally for some time. My desire to retain the worlds in my sectors has caused a few undesired skirmishes with them. Presently, they are at war with me, but never pose a threat militarily. I suspect they will offer a treaty of neutrality again in the near future.

Bring on the Summer

I got a B on the Calc II final and eked out an A for the course. Another one down and another one down… another one bites the dust. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever finish at this rate.

I’m taking a break from classes for the summer. It will be so nice to have “some” free time again. I say “some” cause life snatches free time away like a would-be purse snatcher on a dark city street. It seems like I can’t do anything on a whim anymore.

I’m going to try to exercise more over the summer too. Hopefully more pick-up soccer, but we’ll have to wait and see. I need to do something different, so I can lose some of this excess flesh I’m carrying around. Speaking of soccer, Salve has agreed we should buy a High Definition TV before the next World Cup. That way I can watch the games in all their glory. I can’t wait!

Another semester is over

Well, classes are finally over for Calculus. The only thing left is the final exam. I have an A average, but not as high as last time. I'm going to study and finish doing homework this week. I might even do some extra credit for one of the tests -- to try to pull my grade up a little more.

I'm taking a break over the summer. I'm so exhausted from working 40+ hours per week and taking a 5-credit college course. It will be nice to have some free time again. I'm thinking about buying Command & Conquer for the PC to have something to play over the summer.

I’m still trying to decide what to do about school. The program I am currently in is not accommodating for anyone other than full-time students (luckily it is distance education). I can’t be a full-time student and work full-time -- I don’t know what to do. Changing programs, or schools, will mean extra courses to take. I guess I have the summer to think about it.